


Broken Home

by mainestage



Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band)
Genre: Divorce, Gen, Malum Friendship, Michael's sad and no one knows, Or do they?, mentions of depression
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-02
Updated: 2017-05-04
Packaged: 2018-10-26 18:10:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,608
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10791984
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mainestage/pseuds/mainestage
Summary: Michael's world is turned upside down by a phone call and he's waiting for his friends to come calling. Except they can't help if he doesn't tell them what's wrong.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> S/O to candouredcalum on Tumblr for giving me encouragement and inspiration.  
> If you like this fic check out my others on my tumblr, 'getsosd'. Fic comes in two parts because I like to leave people hanging and cause general disappointment.

To be fair, he'd never officially told them.

He'd sort of just assumed they'd heard the news and went about his business, expecting them to see his unwillingness to talk about it and move on. The other boys were very good at tip-toeing around subjects Michael didn't want to talk about so why should this one be any different?

Unfortunately his thinking backfired, and after two weeks of misery and moping, Michael caved and called Ashton. Except instead of being met with the usual light-hearted, 'What do you want, Clifford?' he was met with Ashton's voicemail. As odd as that was, he didn't let himself be discouraged and opted to call Luke.

Luke and he had been close for so long. Then suddenly a couple years ago, they both drifted apart. Strain on their friendship caused by being in close proximity was always something they had to be careful of, but Michael supposed he hadn't been cautious enough with Luke. And although they were initially joined at the hip, a space had begun to grow between them that neither boy noticed until they were miles away from each other yet standing only a stage apart.

However their tension would have to wait, because after the line rang a second time Michael heard a groggy 'Hello?' and smiled to himself despite the desperation bubbling up his soul.

'Are you ever gonna ask me what happened or do I have to hire an actual therapist?'

He heard a shift in the background and identified it as Luke sitting up from wherever he was laying. Presumably his bed. 

He continued, 'I mean Dr. Sanders was great, real nice lady but she just doesn't appreciate my use of the term, ba-' 

'Ok stop dude, what are you talking about? What happened?' Michael rolled his eyes and huffed as he sat down on the lounge chair outside his house, the LA sunshine partially blinding him. 'Don't play dumb man it's really been bothering me lately and I just need to talk it out.' 

Luke was obviously confused and Michael could tell he was scratching the back of his neck. 'Uhh did I miss something?'

That stopped Michael completely. He was silent for a minute, mouth agape. Did Luke and the others really not know? It's not like the news was _that_ earth shattering, but Michael thought it was at least important enough to have gotten back to them through their mums at the very least. After all, it may not mean much to some but to Michael, it was everything.

'Mike?' Luke broke him out of his thoughts.

'Um yeah, no don't worry about it, s'not a big deal I just-' he bit his lip harshly, trying not to show the hurt evident in his voice '-Forget it. I'll see you Tuesday at the studio, okay?'

Luke agreed warily, sensing that it _was_ a big deal but letting it go.

Michael was simultaneously relieved and offended that Luke had simply allowed it to pass and confirmed that he'd see him on Tuesday. But he wasn't about to pester Luke about it and instead sat back on the chair and closed his eyes, wishing the sun would seep thru his pores and burn out his feelings of dejection.

It was the next morning when his phone vibrated on the side table that he realized how far he'd let himself sink into his depression.

His body ached, his eyes were slow to open and just the thought of ever _speaking_ to anyone made him want to sleep for a hundred years. He let the call go to voicemail and willed himself to get up and empty his bladder.

Despite an epic inner battle, he found himself curled up back in bed after only a few minutes wandering the kitchen in search of food.

The incessant vibration of his phone grew unbearable, however, and his hand darted out from under his shield of covers to quickly swipe the green to red.

Unfortunately the universe had something else in mind though, because before he could toss his phone back onto the table he heard a faint, 'Hello?' 

He groaned and fumbled around to flip his phone back around and put it to his head.

'What?' He snapped.

He heard something, but it was very muffled, and as he pulled the phone away from his face and _finally_ opened his eyes to look at the infuriating device he grunted angrily as he realized it was upside down.

'WHAT?' He roared into the phone once again. 

'Calm the fuck down mate, ya don't have to yell at me.' The voice (Michael immediately identified it as Calum) sounded genuinely upset at Michael's short temper and while Michael regretted his outburst, he couldn't extinguish the fuse Luke's obliviousness had lit the day before.

'Really? Cause it seems yelling is the only way to get anyone to give a shit about me.'

Calum went silent for a beat, and when he spoke again his voice was softer, more understanding. 'What are you talking about, Mike? Is this about what happened back home?'

Michael's brain was fighting to hold on to his rage, but his heart was fighting back just as hard. 

_When he'd gotten the call from his mom he was instantly alarmed because he could hear the tears thick in her voice. He'd questioned her for half an hour before he received a straight answer._

_He never would've imagine what she'd said._

_'Dad and I just aren't getting along, darling, we're calling it quits.'  
_

_He hadn't known how to respond to that. And thankfully his mother didn't make him, just proceeded to talk about trivial, unrelated topics before saying goodbye with a promise to talk soon._

_Despite being a bonafide adult halfway across the world with a house and life of his own, Michael felt like a lost little seven year old again._

In the end his heart won the inner struggle for dominance and he responded to Calum defeatedly, 'So you knew this whole time? Why didn't you say anything Cal?'

He heard Calum sigh and he imagined him running a hand over his face. 'Cause I know you, that's why. If I'd have asked you about it you would've shut down on me. I was gonna bring it up when I saw you Wednesday, but I guess I misjudged how serious this was.'

Michael was just about to tell Calum how it was his _own_ fault for not mentioning it in the first place, but he suddenly remembered, 'Calum we're supposed to be at the studio TUESDAY, not Wednesday.'

'Aw fuck. What would I do without you, Michael??'

Michael's cheeks tingled as a wide smile crept across his face.

'Get kicked out of the band. But seriously Cal, I should've said something instead of just expecting you to-' he cut himself off as he heard a loud crash from his living room.

The hairs on the back of neck stood to attention.

His housekeeper wasn't due until three days from now, and didn't have a key regardless.

He hadn't given anyone a spare, and from the sounds coming from outside his door, whoever it was was looking for something.

'I'll call you back man, I think someone's trying to break in.'


	2. Chapter 2

  
Seconds after he disconnected the call he was on his feet, bounding towards his bedroom door.

But once he came face to face with the door that separated the intruder and he, his burst of adrenaline turned into a sour version of dread.

Just as he was reaching for his phone on the bed to dial 911, he heard the doorknob turn.

With a split second to think he grabbed the alarm clock on his nightstand and ripped it from the wall, brining it up just in time to smash it into the face of-

'CALUM??' He shouted, the clock falling to the floor with a thud and the intruder now known as Calum clutched his face in pain.

'What the hell man??'

Michael jolted back into action after being frozen momentarily in shock, and dragged Calum by the arm back into the living room.

'Calum what the fuck were you doing? Were you on the way here while you were on the phone? Why didn't you tell me you were in my house?? How did you get IN my house???' His questions railed on and once it was clear Calum wasn't going to answer until the pain in his face subsided, Michael mumbled out, 'I'm sorry. Thought you were a jewel thief or something.'

Calum chuckled at that, hand still plastered onto the side of his face effectively hiding his wound from Michael's view. 'You don't own any jewels Mike.'

The relief from Michael at hearing Calum's laugh was evident from the loss of tension in his posture, his shoulders dropped and his whole body falling to sit on the couch next to his injured band mate.

'Well, could've just had the wrong house then? Either way a jewel thief's gonna come packing.' At that Calum's laugh returned and he dropped his hand from his face revealing a large red welt under his eye that was sure to bruise soon.

'Fuck Cal, lemme get ya some ice for that.' He was on his feet before Calum could say a word and into the kitchen rummaging through his freezer for a bag of peas or something.

He heard Calum come into the kitchen behind him and pull out a chair from the kitchen island.

'This is nice.' He gestured around the general vicinity and Michael realized this was only the second time Calum had ever been in his new house since he moved in a few months ago, and the first time he'd only come into the living room.

'Thanks mate.'

His eyes rolled after he realized the only thing he had in his freezer that would do was a Hot Pocket.

'This is all I got.'

He held it up to his friend and watched at his face split into a grin then flinched as his angry red cheek protested.

'It'll do.'

After taking the hot pocket Calum proceeded to explain to Michael that he had come over to surprise him with moral support after Luke warned him of Michael's strange behavior. Once he'd gotten there he used the spare key he'd watched Michael hide not so elaborately under a decorative rock to get inside and tripped over the rug in the living room, knocking a vase off the coffee table.

'That's a really shitty place to put a vase by the way man.' The dark haired boy glared over the edge of the frozen pizza wrap at him and Michael had to clutch his chest so as not to burst into a fit of laughter at his friends expense.

Once he had it under control he realized Calum was staring at him with an unreadable expression.

'Why didn't you just tell Luke? Explain it to him instead of sulking?'

'I wasn't sulking I was-' Michael exhaled and toyed with his fingers. 'You know I can't help it when I get like that.'

Calum was quick to reply, 'Yeah I know, sorry, just, why didn't you tell him?'

Michael shrugged. 'Luke and I aren't as close as we used to be. Ashton didn't even answer his phone and you, well.'

He didn't seem to want to continue and Calum gestured at him to finish his thought.

'I didn't wanna bother you, you're so busy with your new girlfriend lately.'

The look on his face completely melted Calum, and he put down the Hot Pocket to fully look at the boy sitting across from him.

He really wasn't a boy anymore, though.

He'd known him for so long as a boy--the boy he grew up with, the boy he started a band with, the boy with who he'd created so many fond memories. But now, observing his stubbly chin and two small holes where his eyebrow bar used to be, Calum had no choice but to recognize, his friend was a man now.

At that realization he felt his throat constrict and his eyes become dewy.

His best friend had needed his support and he'd been so busy with his new girlfriend, new life, to see it.

'Come here man.'

Before he could think it through he'd hopped off the chair and came around the island to grab Michael into a tight hug.

Michael was slow to move his arms in return, but got the hint when Calum pulled back to look at him sternly.

'Hug me back damnit.' Michael huffed out a laugh and wound his arms around Calum's waist.

They held each other there for a decent amount of time before Calum broke the comfortable silence.

'I'm sorry about your parents. If you want to talk about it I'm here.'

Although Michael was no stranger to emotion, the thickness in his throat and the tightness in his chest caught him off guard.

Hearing his friend acknowledge it made it so much more _real_.

He mumbled something out that didn't even make sense to himself and before he could clarify he broke out into sobs.

Calum's arms gripped him tighter and he said nothing as he let the slightly taller man cry onto his shoulder.

'I just feel like-' _hiccup_ '-I'm too old to be-' _hiccup_ '-so sad about this' _hiccup_.

Calum's hand rubbed soothingly across his back. 'They're still your parents, Mikey. No matter how old you get it'll still hurt when they disagree.'

Michael's heart tugged at the nickname. Calum was the only one he'd ever let call him that. He'd said it the second day they'd known each other and since then everyone that knew the pair knew, only Calum could use that title.

'Yeah but-' he sniffed and pulled away from his embrace, fingers clumsily swiping at the tears streaked down his face. 'I should've been there. Maybe I could've made them stay together.'

Calum was shaking his head before he finished his sentence. 'If they'd stayed together for you they would've still been miserable Mike, they just would've been miserable in private. Besides, you and I both know, your parents love you so much.' His hand reached up to brush away the few remaining teardrops dripping from Michael's eyes. 'They would've stayed together til the end of time if it meant keeping you happy. Them choosing to do this just proves how much they see you've grown up. How they know you can handle it.'

He gripped Michael's face tightly between his two hands. 'And you can, Mikey. Cause I'll help you. So will Luke and Ashton. You just have to _tell them_.'

Michael's scowl turned into a slight smile at that. 'Did you rehearse that?'

Despite the ache in his cheekbone Calum's entire face lit up and instead of answering he walked back around the island to pick up the improvised ice bag.

After Michael grabbed a napkin and formally wiped his wet, snotty face, he said, 'You're the best, man. And I'm not just saying that cause I literally clocked you in the face.'

Calum snorted and shook his head. 'Let the puns begin.'

'But seriously dude you owe me a hit. Anywhere you want it, just don't stab me or some shit.' Michael moved in front of him and held his arms to his sides and cringed in anticipation.

'Nah I'll let it slide this time. You attacked Calum the jewel thief, not Calum your best friend.' He joked.

Michael giggled and let out an over dramatic sigh of relief.

And just like that, everything was right again.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!! If you have any ideas for fics, whether they be M/F, M/M or Friend fics I write anything 5SOS! Find me on tumblr under the name 'getsosd'. Check out my masterlist while you're there!   
> Ok enough of the shameless self promo. Let me know if you liked this!


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